Ball State created the Wheeler-Thanhauser Collection to conserve rare and endangered species of orchids, disseminate them for conservation, and use the collection for research and education. We display orchids with other tropical plants to give you the impression of being in a small tropical environment. A terraced "mountain" and waterfall give you a hint of the cooler, high-elevation rainforest environment and a glimpse of the cloud-forest orchids that grow there. You will also witness a display of tropical poison arrow frogs, since rainforest conservation is about both plants and animals.